Fastening device



May 18, 1965 P. T. KELLOGG 3,184,015

FASTENING'DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

PAUL T. KELLOGG- wm w ATTORNEYS May 18, 1965 P, T. KELLOGG v 3,184,015

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E]; E E INVENTOR.

PAUL 7T KELLOGG.

Jgzzm Q/Mz A 7' TORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,184,015 FASTENING DEVICE Paul T. Kellogg, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Bendix Corporation, Towson, Md, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 134,997 Claims. (Cl. 189-36) The present invention relates to latching devices and, more particularly, to a latching device having particular utility where considerable strength and resistance to vibration are required.

One application in which such requirements are found is in cabinets for large and heavy electronic or electrical components. Such components are typically installed on a chassis which is part of a drawer mounted in a cabinet. When the electrical equipment is operating normally, it is desired that the drawers stay firmly closed in their cabinets; but, when it is desired to adjust or service the equipment, the drawers should be easily removable. It is also most desirable if the drawer itself can be easily handled when removed from the cabinets. Inasmuch as such drawers of equipment often weigh 150 lbs. or more and may be subject to vibration, such as when the equipment is carried on ships, the requirements for the fastening devices become quite severe. A typical prior art fastening means which has been manufactured in volume involves a cam and lever principle which, when properly adjusted, will hold a drawer tightly in a cabinet but which has been found inadequate to meet certain Armed Forces requirements as to ruggedness and resistance to vibration. It also loses its shape as a handle when it is released to open the drawer and is therefore not satisfactory as a means for carrying the drawer when it is removed. Other fastening devices may generally retain their shape as a handle but are not mounted solidly enough when unlatched to permit carrying heavy objects, such as the above described equipment drawers, conveniently.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a latching device having great strength and resistance to damage from vibration but which is easily and conveniently released.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a latching device which meets the above objective and which retains its utility as a handle when unlatched.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device meeting the above objectives and which is comparatively simple in structure, and easy to produce.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a latching device incorporating my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a modified form of my invention as assembled with a portion broken away to show the internal locking structure.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a panel is'shown at numeral which may be the front panel of a drawer. A striker plate or mounting plate 12 is positioned against the panel 10. This striker plate is shown as having a series of grooves or indentations 14 which Would normally be formed in this plate if it were made of metal. It has been found, however, that this plate may be made of nylon or other plastic materials without requiring these grooves if the surface of the material is such as to present a substantial resistance to slipping of an adjacent grooved metal part. Positioned along the edges of plate 12 are a pair of mating mounting blocks, 16 and 18, which are tapped to receive screws 20 (only one of which is shown) which pass through holes 22 in panel 10 and the slots 24 in plate 12, thereby securing plate 12 and blocks 16 and 18 tightly to the panel 10. Block 16 has a groove 26,

3,l84,dl5 Patented May 18, 19635 and block 18 has a corresponding groove which is hidden in the view shown. These blocks would normally be mirror images of each other and may be made identical unless, in a given application, there is some reason why the grooves cannot be centered along the blocks.

A handle assembly 28 includes a handle part 30 having slide channels 3 2 and 34 on opposite sides thereof. A projection or lug 35 extends outwardly from the side of channel 32 and is adapted to slide in the groove formed in block 18. A similar projection is formed in the channel 34 and slides in the groove 26 of block 16. A wedge section 36 is also formed as part of handle 30. A slot 38 is cut in the handle 34) for receiving a cam-lever member 40. Member 40 is pivotally attached to the handle 30 by means of pin 42 and includes a cam surface 44 and a thumb-engaging surface 46, either or both of which may be grooved to increase the resistance to sliding on these surfaces. Cam surface 44 is contoured such that increasing rise or force against member 12 is presented as member 40 is rotated toward a position out of slot 38. A spring 48 located in handle 30 normally urges the camlever member 40 in this direction.

Attached to a cabinet, or other member 50 with which it is desired to hold drawer 10, is a locking block 52 which includes a passageway 54 having a wedging surface against which the wedge member 36 of handle 30 is tightly jammed when the latching device is closed.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation will be apparent. When the latching device is in its latched position, the handle assembly 28 is moved downward until member 36 is tightly wedged in locking block 52. During such movement, cam-lever member 40 is rotated to a low-rise position and, at the end of such movement, the spring will then push the member 40 toward the drawer 10, thus jamming cam surface 44 tightly against striker plate 12. firmly positioned because any attempt to move it in a downward direction increases the wedging action against locking block 52 and any movement upwardly causes a rotation of cam surface 44 in a rising direction further jamming cam surface 44 against striker plate 12 and the projections in channels 32 and 34 against the top of the grooves in the locking blocks 16 and 18.

A modified form of my invention is shown in FIGURE 2. Some of the parts may be identical or very similar to corresponding parts of the FIGURE 1 device, and in such cases similar numerals have been applied. This view shows the latching device in closed position with a portion of the handle broken away to show the internal locking structure. A striker plate 12 is fastened to a drawer 10 by any convenient means which may include a number of screws such as those shown in FIGURE 1 which pass through holes 22 and slots 24 and are threadedly engaged with the blocks 16 and 18. The handle assembly 58 includes a handle part 60 which may be made as a separate part and of different material from the slide section 62.

In one series of devices similar to that shown in FIG- URE 1, the entire handle and slide section were made of a single piece of cast stainless steel. In the FIGURE 2 device, which has been designed for lower production costs, less expensive materials and methods may be used, depending on the mechanical requirements that have to be met. The slide section 62 carries a wedge section 36 and lugs which mate with the blocks 16 and 18 as shown in FIGURE 1. The striker plate 12 has grooves 14 or may have projections and, therefore, grooves between the projections for receiving fingers 64, 66 formed on the end of a leaf spring member 68 which has its opposite end attached to the slide section 62 and which is biased against the striker plate 12. Attached to the spring 68 is a pin 70 extending through the slide section 62 and terminating in a knob 72 which is operated by the op- The handle is then ans gore erator holding handle part 60 when it is desired to release the fingers 64, 66 from their grooves to permit the handle assembly to be moved. The locking block 52 attached to the cabinet 50 may be the same as that shown in FIGURE 1 except perhaps for the material used.

Operation is similar to the device of FIGURE 1 except that instead of the thumb-operated cam and lever locking member 40, the FIGURE 2 device uses the knob 72 to release the fingers 64, 66 from the groove 14 in the striker plate 12.

While only two embodiments have been shown and described herein, modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The leaf spring of FIGURE 2 could be a coil spring abutting against an extension on the end of pin 70 which forces said extension into the grooves 14. The slide section 62, the blocks 16, 18, and the locking block 52 could be made of some plastic material such as nylon with the handle member 60 of metal or metal-reinforced plastic. The striker plate could be eliminated if the surface of the drawer or movable member were grooved or otherwise adapted to present a satisfactory latching surface. Other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A fastening device for removably holding a first member in a desired spaced relationship with a second member comprising a locking block adapted to be fastened to one of said members including means defining a passageway, a mounting plate, and a pair of grooved mating retainer blocks for attachment to the other of said members, a handle assembly including a slide section having outwardly extending projections for sliding in the grooves of said retainer blocks, a wedge portion forming an extension of said slide section adapted to be wedged tightly against one internal surface of said passageway when said handle assembly is moved to its latched position, a slot in said handle assembly and a cam-lever member pivotally fastened in said slot having a cam surface adapted to engage said mounting plate and a thumb engaging surface extending outside of said slot, resilient means acting against said cam-lever member to urge said cam surface against said mounting plate, and a hand receiving section positioned to facilitate movement of said thumb engaging surface to release said cam surface from engagement with said mounting plate and subsequent movement of said handle assembly along said grooves.

2. A fastening device for removably holding a first member in a position substantially coplanar with a secpnd member comprising a locking block adapted to be (fastened to one of said members including means defining a passageway; a mounting plate and a pair of grooved mating retainer blocks for attachment to the other of said members; and a handle assembly including slide section having projections for sliding in the grooves of said retainer blocks, a wedge section adapted to be wedged tightly against one internal surface of said passageway when said device is in its closed position, a cam-lever member pivotally fastened to said handle assembly including a cam surface adapted to engage said mounting plate and a thumb engaging surface, resilient means acting against said camlever member to urge said cam surface against said mounting plate, and a hand receiving section positioned in relation to said thumb-engaging surface and to said slide section to facilitate movement of said handle assembly along said grooves.

3. A fastening device for removably holding a first member in a desired spaced relationship with a second member comprising a mounting assembly adapted to be attached to one of said members including a striker plate surface having a high friction characteristic and a pair of mating sidewalls extending normally of said surface, a handle assembly including a slide section having means coacting with the sidewalls of said mounting assembly to retain said handle assembly adjacent said striker plate surface while permitting limited travel parallel to said surface, a latching section including a wedging surface, a cam-lever member pivotally fastened to said handle asernbly including a cam surface adapted to engage said striker plate surface, a hand receiving section positioned to facilitate movement of said handle assembly in the direction of said travel, and a locking member adapted to be attached to the other of said members including a second wedging surface which coacts with said first named wedging surface when said handle assembly is moved to its latched position.

4. A fastening device for removably holding a first member in a desired spaced relationship with a second member comprising a mounting assembly adapted to be attached to one of said members including a striker plate surface having a high friction characteristic and a pair of mating sidewalls extending normally of said surface, a handle assembly including a slide section having means coacting with the sidewalls of said mounting assembly to retain said handle assembly adjacent said striker plate surface while permitting limited travel parallel to said surface, a latching section including a wedging surface, means fastened to said handle assembly including resilient means for frictionally engaging said striker plate surface and manually operable means for opposing said resilient means, and a hand receiving section positioned to facilitate operation of said manual means and movement of said handle assembly in the direction of said travel; and a locking member adapted to be attached to the other of said members including a second wedging surface which coacts with said first named wedging surface when said handle assembly is moved to its latched position.

5. A fastening device for removably holding a first member in a desired spaced relationship with a second member comprising a mounting assembly adapted to be attached to one of said members including a striker plate surface having indentations and a pair of mating sidewalls extending normally of said surface; a handle as sembly including a slide section having means coacting with the sidewalls of said mounting assembly to retain said handle assemblly adjacent said striker plate surface while permitting limited travel parallel to said surface, a latching section including a wedging surface, a spring member attached to said handle assembly and means normally urged by said spring member in the direction of said indentations to hold said handle assembly in position relative to said striker plate surface, manually operable means for releasing said spring means to permit movement of said handle assembly, and a hand receiving References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 243,009 6/81 Topham 292152 343,605 6/86 Phoenix 292-189 1,653,015 12/27 Koelln 292152 1,824,631 9/31 Saxe 189-36 2,029,068 1/36 Greene 292-342 2,403,065 7/46 Engert.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR, Primary Examiner.

CORNELIUS D. ANGEL, BENJAMIN BENDETT,

Examiners. 

1. A FASTENING DEVICE FOR REMOVABLY HOLDING A FIRST MEMBER IN A DESIRED SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH A SECOND MEMBER COMPRISING A LOCKING BLOCK ADAPTED TO BE FASTENED TO ONE OF SAID MEMBERS INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY, A MOUNTING PLATE, AND A PAIR OF GROOVED MATING RETAINER BLOCKS FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS, A HANDLE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING OA SLIDE SECTION HAVING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS FOR SLIDING IN THE GROOVES OF SAID RETAINER BLOCKS, A WEDGE PORTION FORMING AN EXTENSION OF SAID SLIDE SECTION ADAPTED TO BE WEDGED TIGHTLY AGAINST ONE INTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID PASSAGEWAY WHEN SAID HANDLE ASSEMBLY IS MOVED TO ITS LATCHED POSITION, A SLOT IN SAID HANDLE ASSEMBLY AND A CAM-LEVER MEMBER PIVOTALLY FASTENED IN SAID SLOT HAVING A CAM SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND A THUMB ENGAGING SURFACE EXTENDING OUTSIDE OF SAID SLOT, RESILIENT MEANS ACTING AGAINST SAID CAM-LEVER MEMBER TO URGE SAID CAM SURFACE AGAINST SAID MOUNTING PLATE, AND A HAND RECEIVING SECTION POSITIONED TO FACILITATE MOVEMENT OF SAID THUMB ENGAGING SURFACE TO RELEASE SAID CAM SURFACE FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE ASSEMBLY ALONG SAID GROOVES. 